Paradise Beyond My Reach
by ObscureEnough
Summary: He shouldn't look, but he couldn't turn away. The one person he wanted, and he was with someone else. Slash.


Disclaimer: Don't own or claim rights to Harry Potter.

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><p>He gripped the corner of the wall so tightly, he thought, vaguely, that the stone might crumble under his fingers. Up ahead, in a nearly-sufficiently dark alcove, lay the source of his deep pain, and a reminder of what he could never have.<p>

He couldn't see much. The man closest to him had his pants down, certainly, but his shirt hung low enough in the back to maintain his modesty, such as it was, and his body blocked pretty much any view of the man he was fucking into the wall. From this angle, he could see a pale hand gripping an equally pale hip, and a pale head bowed into the shoulder of a dark-haired man. But the sounds.

He could hear them. The wet slap of skin against skin, the moan and broken gasps of two men lost in their passion. Soft cries whispering back to him, half words begging for more, harder, deeper. He could hear Draco's grunts as he drove into Harry, as he drove Harry into the wall. And he could hear Harry's keening pleas as he bucked back onto that stiff prick.

He saw the pale hand slip forward, and hear Harry's, 'Merlin, yes, please,' as he rocked back and forth between the twinned pleasures of Draco's use of his body. He could see the motion of Draco's arm as he desperately stroked Harry's cock, and heard Harry's whimpering, 'Yes, yes, yes,' as they careened towards matched explosive orgasms. He saw Harry's head toss back, and heard the wordless cry of his completion as it dragged Draco tumbling down into pleasure. And he watched as Draco leaned in, gasping, trying to catch his breath and regain his dignity.

Finally, Draco pulled back, and began to tidy himself. He had to leave. He couldn't stand this any more. He'd wanted few enough over the years, but this man, this one man, had caught his eye over recent years, and it was like a hook in the gut to know that he could never have him. Harry, after all, was the Saviour of the Wizarding World, and as far beyond him as the stars beyond the snake that he was.

He had to leave. He needed to leave. But he couldn't. He clung to the stone wall, and continued to watch, even as he knew he risked discovery every second that he lingered.

"I can't do this any more," he heard Draco whisper.

By this time, Harry was, himself, presentable. "Drake?" he whispered, turning to face the blond. "I… What do you mean?"

"I can't do this. I… You're using me, and I can't deal with it any more," Draco accused sadly.

"No!" Harry assured him. "No, it's nothing like that. I, I really like you," he tried, but Draco cut him off.

"It's okay," Draco assured the brunet gently. "You don't even know you're doing it. But … I'm not the one you really want, am I?"

"No!" Harry denied desperately. "You are. You're … you're really good to me, and, and this is good, isn't it? What we have is good?"

"What we have…" Draco began. "The sex is good, yeah. And I know you'd acknowledge me publicly if I let you, but I know, I've always known, that I'm not the one you want. I'm the one you think you can get, because you don't think you can get the man you want, do you?"

"I… Oh Merlin, Drake," Harry groaned. "What am I going to do? I … He doesn't even see me. Any you're right, I do want him. And I have been using you. I'm so sorry, Drake. I … I should never have started this."

He saw Draco lift his hand to rub his knuckles gently over Harry's cheek. "He sees you, Harry; I'm sure he does. Look, why don't you come over to lunch on Saturday? He'll be there, he always comes for lunch on Saturdays, and I'll …" he chuckled mirthlessly, "I'll introduce you to my godfather as someone new, someone he damn well better take the time to know as a man, and not as a student, or I shall … I shall show him what I learned from places other than his classroom."

Severus felt as though his stomach had just disappeared. Did he … was he understanding this properly? Did he … could he possibly have a chance? He felt suddenly faint, and remembered, oddly, that he did actually need to breathe. He drew a harsh breath, which drew the attention of the two men ahead of him. He clutched the stone wall again, and wondered if it were possible for him to suddenly disappear. But his chance to escape was gone before he knew it, and the two men before him were exchanging rueful glances.

Draco cleared his throat. "So, uh … like the show?"

Harry gasped, and slapped his sometime lover in the arm. He stepped forward around Draco, and slowly approached Severus. "Hey," he began softly.

"Good evening, Harry," Severus greeted, deeply surprised that he was even capable of speech.

"You were watching?" Harry asked, light blush gracing his cheeks.

"I … I couldn't look away," Severus admitted. He stepped away from the wall, and reached for Harry. "I, I must admit that … I have long found you attractive. I…" He stopped and took a deep breath. "Harry Potter, I would like to spend time with you, with a view to becoming lovers and life-mates."

Harry smiled, a sudden, brilliant smile. "Severus Snape, I would dearly love to get to know you, as a lover and life-mate."

Severus stepped forward, and reached to cup his hand around Harry's cheek. He rubbed his thumb over Harry's cheekbone, then drew him closer, leaning down to capture Harry's lips in a gentle kiss. "This is more than I deserve," he murmured.

Harry scoffed. "Trust me, Severus. Life with me is not easy. My Gryffindor ways will chafe on you."

Severus nodded. "Nothing this good is easy. And you never know. Given time, you may just corrupt me."

Harry chuckled. "I thought I was supposed to be redeeming you."

"That too," Severus nodded. "That too."


End file.
